Carl Martin Classic Opto Compressor

One day while Carl was adding some compression to a guitar track in his studio, he thought, why hasn't anyone built a small opto-compressor for guitarists? An optical compressor performs gain reduction control via a light source into a photo sensitive cell... as the light source gets brighter, the photo sensitive cell sends a signal to reduce dynamic range, or what becomes a compressed signal.

Welcome to the Vintage Opto-Compressor an old-school compressor from the days where coloring was an important factor to the sound. The four controls (from left to right) are the Gain, which controls the pre-glow of the optical circuit (the more you turn this up, the fatter the sound); Level, which controls the overall volume of the compressor; Compression, which controls how hard or soft the compression is, and the Attack control which takes the signal from transparent to outright total squeeze. A short time with this compressor will allow you to find some of those classic guitar sounds which may somehow have escaped you before. Again, like all the Vintage pedals, the Opto-Compressor comes in a solid die-cast housing with cool CM colour and graphics and a 9v battery compartment.

zZounds is an authorized dealer of Carl Martin products.

-Durable solid die-cast housing-9v battery compartment-Chicken head knobs-Bypass footswitch engages or bypasses the pedal-Red LED turns on when the pedal is engaged-Gain controls the pre-glow of the optical circuit (the more you turn this up, the fatter the sound)-Level controls the overall volume of the compressor-Compression controls how hard or soft the compression is-Attack control takes the signal from transparent to outright total squeeze

Our extended 45-Day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee applies on
this productBuy it, and if it isn't just right for you, return it!

What Our Customers Are Saying About zZounds "zZounds is fantastic. I applied for the payment plan and got a very fast response. Shipping was as promised and the product showed up packed very well. I will definitely be a long-time Zzounds customer and support a great retailer." - Customer on May 18, 2015

A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.

1. zZounds offers the industry‘s most musician-friendly payment plans

zZounds offers a variety of Play as You Pay installment plans that allow you to get the gear you want today. While our competitors might offer house credit cards that require you to fill out an application and pass a credit check, our payment plans are easy to get, simple to use, and, best of all, accrue zero interest. Unlike those house credit cards that can leave you vulnerable to exorbitant interest charges once the promotional period ends, we never have and never will charge interest when you take advantage of one of the zZounds Play as You Pay plans.

2. zZounds guarantees the lowest price

Seen it for less somewhere else? Get it for less at zZounds. Simply click the “Seen it for less?” link on any product page and as long as we‘re not losing money, we‘ll beat any legitimate competitor‘s lowest price, usually within two hours. Want our best price even faster? Call us at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637), and we‘ll provide you with a lower price on the phone. Also, if you purchase from us and later find the product for less elsewhere, call or email us within 45 days, and we‘ll refund you the difference.

3. zZounds gets you your gear fast

At zZounds, you‘ll get your gear fast and, usually, with free delivery. Because we have warehouses in New Jersey, Nevada and Mississippi, nearly 95 percent of Americans reside within our two-day shipping zones. Combine this with the fact that many of our best-selling products qualify for free two-day delivery and you get expedited shipping without the additional cost.

4. zZounds makes returns super easy

Buy it, try it, like it, or return it to us for a full refund. It‘s just that simple. If you‘re not in love with what you bought, return it to zZounds within 45 days, and we‘ll promptly arrange for an exchange or a refund. No hassles. No hidden charges. And if a product‘s defective or damaged, call us at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637), and we‘ll email you a prepaid shipping label so you can easily return it to us at zero cost to you.

5. zZounds delivers top-rated customer service

zZounds has received multiple Bizrate® Circle of Excellence Platinum awards, placing us in the top 0.7 percent of Bizrate‘s network of 5,200 retailers. Our success in meeting the needs of our customers -- since 1996, we‘ve satisfied over 1,000,000 people -- is due in large part to the fact that zZounds only hires experienced musicians to answer your calls and emails, and they are never paid a commission.